Designing & Managing Agent Networks

Financial Regulation and Operational Excellence November 30, 2025
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Introduction

This course provides an operational, strategic, and regulatory deep dive into **Designing and Managing Agent Networks** for financial service delivery, particularly in emerging markets. It covers the end-to-end process, from setting a network strategy and determining a suitable agent model to managing liquidity, mitigating fraud, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Participants will learn best practices for agent recruitment, training, performance monitoring, and creating an efficient, profitable, and secure last-mile channel for reaching the financially excluded.

Objectives

Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Analyze the business rationale, market dynamics, and operational models for establishing an **Agent Network**.
  • Develop a strategic plan for **agent selection, recruitment, and onboarding**, ensuring compliance and reliability.
  • Design and implement robust **agent training and performance management** programs for quality service delivery.
  • Establish effective internal controls and procedures to mitigate **liquidity/float management** and **fraud risk**.
  • Apply regulatory requirements (e.g., AML/CFT, consumer protection) to agent operations, leveraging proportional rules.
  • Design and implement a technology platform for **real-time agent monitoring, reporting, and management**.
  • Evaluate the financial viability of the agent channel, optimizing commission structures and managing costs.
  • Develop strategies for addressing agent churn, ensuring network stability, and fostering agent loyalty.

Target Audience

  • Heads of Agent Network Management and Operations for Mobile Money Operators (MMOs) and Banks
  • Financial Inclusion Specialists and Product Managers
  • Compliance and Fraud Risk Officers focused on Agency Channels
  • FinTech Executives and Payment System Operators
  • International Development Professionals working on Last-Mile Delivery
  • Retail Banking and Microfinance Branchless Banking Managers
  • Regulators overseeing Agent Banking and Payments Systems

Methodology

  • Case Studies analyzing successful commission structures and their impact on agent behavior.
  • Group Activities on designing a liquidity management strategy for an agent in a remote, cash-scarce region.
  • Discussions on the ethics of incentive structures and the risk of over-servicing.
  • Individual Exercises on creating an Agent Scorecard with key performance indicators.
  • Role-playing a fraud investigation based on agent transaction anomalies.
  • Workshop on drafting core agent training content on consumer protection.

Personal Impact

  • Expertise in the strategic and operational management of complex distribution networks.
  • Ability to design profitable, compliant, and fraud-resistant agent operations.
  • Deep understanding of liquidity management, risk mitigation, and performance optimization in branchless banking.
  • Enhanced skills in using data and technology for real-time network monitoring.
  • Increased value to organizations seeking to scale financial services in a cost-effective manner.
  • Professional recognition as a leader in last-mile financial service delivery.

Organizational Impact

  • Massive scale-up of financial service access to the unbanked and rural populations.
  • Significant reduction in operational costs compared to traditional bank branch networks.
  • Mitigation of fraud losses and compliance risks through robust internal controls.
  • Higher agent satisfaction and lower churn, leading to network stability and quality of service.
  • Enhanced regulatory compliance with Agent Banking guidelines and consumer protection.
  • Increased revenues and market share through effective last-mile reach.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Agent Network Strategy and Planning

Section 1: Business Case and Models
  • The economic imperative: Cost-to-serve reduction and financial inclusion reach.
  • Evaluating different agent models: Dedicated, shared, direct, and franchise-based.
  • Setting network coverage targets and developing a deployment roadmap (e.g., rural vs. urban).
  • Analyzing the market: Agent density, competition, and customer demand mapping.
Section 2: Selection and Recruitment
  • Defining the ideal agent profile (literacy, location, reputation, existing business).
  • Developing a rigorous **agent due diligence** and selection process (compliance check).
  • Designing the agent contract, liability framework, and termination clauses.
  • Strategies for mass recruitment and rapid network scaling.

Unit 2: Operations and Risk Management

Section 1: Float and Liquidity Management
  • The risk of **Float Imbalance** (too much cash or too little e-value) and its impact.
  • Designing efficient, secure, and low-cost **cash-in/cash-out** mechanisms (super-agents, bank branches).
  • Implementing cash forecasting and automated liquidity management tools.
  • Setting appropriate agent transaction and float limits.
Section 2: Fraud and Operational Risk
  • Identifying common agent fraud risks (e.g., overcharging, counterfeit notes, collusion).
  • Developing internal controls, reconciliation procedures, and segregation of duties.
  • Training agents on physical security, anti-money laundering (AML), and operational protocol.
  • Ensuring system resilience and business continuity planning for agent channels.

Unit 3: Agent Performance and Training

Section 1: Training and Management
  • Developing a comprehensive, practical **agent training curriculum** (product, process, compliance).
  • Establishing a clear **commission and incentive structure** to drive desired behavior (e.g., liquidity).
  • Designing a performance monitoring system with key metrics (volume, value, service quality).
  • Strategies for minimizing agent churn and building agent loyalty/career paths.

Unit 4: Technology and Regulatory Compliance

Section 1: Monitoring and Oversight
  • Leveraging **geo-spatial data** and transaction analytics for real-time agent monitoring.
  • Implementing technology for agent registration, transaction logging, and dispute resolution.
  • Ensuring agent operations comply with **Agent Banking Regulations** and proportional CDD/AML rules.
  • Designing a customer feedback loop and agent recourse mechanism.

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